LSU hopes to draw fans with tweaks to stadium tech

BATON ROUGE - The latest and greatest technology will be at the forefront of the improved experience LSU Tiger fans can expect as the university's efforts to improve overall fan experience gets underway this season.

New HD video screens and LED message boards are among the first improvements game day attendees to Tiger Stadium will notice, and it's all part of a multi-sport, multi-year initiative to make attending LSU sporting events a bigger draw.

The South end zone of the historic stadium now features two video boards that measure 40' x 70' and will display content in high definition to fans throughout the stadium. The recently added displays are powered by new control rooms on campus that were added during LSU's efforts to ready the facility ahead of SEC Network broadcasts.

The North end zone is also home to new, technologically advanced display with the latest HD capabilities. LSU Athletics have combined forces with LSU Sports Properties and corporate sponsors to enhance available screen real estate for the 2014 season.

All three displays now have the capability to show multiple angles of plays when calls for replays come from the board producers.

Fans can now expect new musical entertainment from the in-stadium multimedia setup as LSU, with the change in the SEC music policy, can now use PA music to supplement the traditional times when the "Golden Band From Tigerland" isn't playing.

Additional displays throughout the stadium guarantee to keep fans up to date on scores throughout the conference and league with the latest scores and highlights.

The LSU Fan Experience initiative also seeks to combat a woe that has become almost as synonymous with LSU Football as the smell of grilling burgers: traffic before and after the game.

The new postgame traffic flow is part of LSU's on-going attempts to make games in Tiger Stadium more enjoyable for fans, and the university used the SP Plus Gameday consultant group to try to find new ways to ease traffic headaches for fans headed to or leaving the game.

Post-game contraflow on Nicholson Drive and Highway 30, in conjunction with LSU PD and local law enforcement, are using pregame communication to fans to suggest incoming routes and adjustments to the season parking plan to prevent traffic snarls prior to kickoff.

In addition to tackling entertainment and parking, the university is also following the national trend of improving cellular capabilities within the confines of the stadium in an effort to eliminate the timeless problem of being unable to make calls during breaks in the big game.

LSU has installed a Distributed Antenna System to help with phone call reception and will slowly be integrated fully during the season.

Refinements to concessions with new gastronomic stadium fare round out the continued efforts by the school to pack the stadium to its new capacity 102,321 in the face of competition from improved home viewing experiences.

LSU expects the tweaks to technology and parking can help buck the trend of Tiger fans staying home and continue to power the atmosphere the has made Death Valley an infamous destination for visiting teams for years.